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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: perch · roll · branch · content · squash · can · key · track

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. key — in music
  4. content — the amount
  5. perch — the fish
  6. roll — a cake
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. track — a song
  9. key — the most important part
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. branch — a division
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. roll — a list
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. squash — the sport
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. key — for a lock
  18. track — to keep track
  19. content — happy
  20. can — a tin
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. can — a tin
  23. squash — to crush
  24. track — a path

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com